This invention relates to a Microphone cover for hearing devices for at least partially covering openings arranged at the outside of the hearing devices and to a hearing device with openings arranged at the outside of the hearing device with a microphone cover.
It is to be noted that the term hearing devices shall cover as well hearing aids, such as behind-the-ear hearing aids and in-the-ear hearing aids.
Hearing devices comprise at least one microphone for the receiving and amplification or eventually reduction of sound events. This microphone is exposed to different environmental influences, such as humidity, sweat and cerumen. Actuating elements such as switches or volume controls are arranged in the direct vicinity of the microphones of miniaturized hearing devices, such as in-the-ear hearing-aids. Dirt in form of particles may thus be disposed by the fingers of the wearer of the hearing device in the area of the microphone opening. This will lead to a plugging of such openings and thus at least to a reduction or finally to an elimination of the sound receiving capability of the microphone. The involved hearing devices will subsequently have to be cleaned or the microphone will have to be replaced, which may as a rule only be performed by skilled professionals and generate additional costs. The reduction or failure of the microphones will be appreciated as low quality of the overall hearing device and thus constitute a bad image of the hearing devices concerned.
A number of solutions for the covering of microphones are well known. A lot of hearing devices have coverings for the microphone openings firmly integrated or glued within the battery cap or the faceplate or the module. They will have to be cleaned in an extensive manner in case of pollution.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,987,587 discloses a covering cap for the protection of openings leading to the outside of hearing aids among others. The cap thereby will be attached over the opening of the device concerned and consist of openings, which are covered by a membrane. The disclosed construction conditionally requires a coupling element protruding from the shell to the outside of the hearing device, onto which the cap will be snapped on. Such a coupling element may on one hand be optically disturbing and on the other hand be susceptible for the collection of dirt due to its edges. Such a cap furthermore risks to unintentionally or independently loosen and thereby will get lost or intrudes into the ear canal. The document furthermore only teaches the covering of openings of hearing devices directed to the ear, e.g. the sound outlet openings of hearing devices. The outlet openings of the hearing device will thereby be protected, but not the sound entry opening of the microphone directed to the outside of the ear.
A covering for the sound entry opening for in-the-ear hearing aids is further disclosed in DE 20208601 U1, consisting of an open plastic ring with plastic gauze stretched over the opening, thus providing a cover of the microphone impermeable for cerumen. This covering provides only small form stability and may therefore build up a gap between the cover and the opening susceptible for dirt and humidity.
WO97/09864 discloses a further device for covering the openings directed to the ear of hearing devices. The respective openings will be closed by porous plugs, which are plugged into the openings or the channels corresponding to the openings respectively. A disadvantage of this construction lies in the fact that the plug may practically no longer be removed out of the opening or the channel. Thus the plug only may be cleaned together with the hearing device, thereby remaining within the opening or the channel. A further problem relates to the possibility of pushing the plug too far into the opening or channel respectively, thereby forming again an open chamber susceptible for the deposition of dirt and thus closing the respective openings.